You’ve worked hard to eat right– you’ve meal planned and you’re meal prepping. But you can’t help but feel the temptation to give in to the urges. You know the urges I make… Hamburgers. French fries. Pizza. All the goodness that you’ve been craving, but you have forsaken. I had worked hard to remain faithful to my macros, when my husband introduced me to the miracle of cheating. Before I have some rather perturbed spouses on my hands, let me clarify that I’m talking about cheat meals.
Contrary to popular belief, cheat meals do not provide you a way of using 2300 calories in a single meal (although the thought makes me get the warm fuzzies on the inside). Done incorrectly, a cheat meal could impede your progress and make you feel bloated. But, fret not, cheat meals don’t require complicated voodoo to master.
The Basics of the Magic
Macros are the fat, protein and carbs you should consume in a single day. Calories consist of protein and carbs. Your daily macros consist of a range for each one (unless you’re getting ready for a competition, you really don’t have to hit a very specific number). You calculate your carbs according to your weight and the remaining calories go towards your protein.
If you’re in a bulk phase, you are in a calorie surplus (more than what you need to keep the same weight). If you’re in a cutting phase, you’re in a calorie deficit (fewer than you need to keep the weight the same). And if you’re in a maintenance phase, you have just the right amount to attemot keeping your weight consistent. When you’re cutting, this is when you are trying to tone up, lose weight and keep your sanity. A cheat meal is a once a week meal, where you increase your calories to your maintenance macros. This gives you a lot more calories to play with and the glory begins.
Word to the Wise on Cheat Meals
- Meal plan accordingly. I tweak the rest of my meals and snacks to save up my calories for the cheat meal.
- Watch the fat. Make sure you aren’t focusing so much on the carbs and protein that you lose sight of the fat. If you’re cutting, your stomach will not be able to handle too much fat. So, if you’re saving all of that fat in one meal…. brace yourselves, because winter is coming.
- Fiber it up. If you have the bulk of your calories in one meal, your stomach is having to process a lot of carbs and protein at the same time. Make sure that your other meal is fiberous and if you take a fiber drink or fiber pills (which I would strongly recommend), take some extra after the meal. You’ll thank me later.
Final Thoughts
My husband and I have actually worked pizza into our cheat meal for the week. We’ll be using Newman’s Own pizza, which is healthy, but it’s … ‘normal person pizza’. It isn’t gluten-free, vegan pizza wth tofu pepperoni and vegan cheese. It tastes amazing. We’ll be adding some extra toppings (mostly because we are fat kids at heart). We do get the thin and crispy version, but mostly because our stomachs can no longer handle too much fat. Once you calculate your macros, you’ll realize how much freedom you have in your cheat meals.
Bon appetit!
